Jack buys Atari
Imagine goes belly up
Nintendo's Famicom gets Zapped

These stories and many more on this episode of the VGNRTM!

This episode we will look back at the biggest stories in and around the video game industry in July 1984. 
As always, we'll mostly be using magazine cover dates, and those are of course always a bit behind the actual events.

Alex Smith of They Create Worlds is our cohost.  Check out his podcast here:
https://www.theycreateworlds.com/
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https://www.theycreateworlds.com/book

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Links:
If you don't see all the links, find them here:

7 Minutes in Heaven: Pit Fall 2
Video Version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-minutes-in-ii-115206120
    https://www.mobygames.com/game/6946/pitfall-ii-lost-caverns/ 

Corrections:
June 1984 Ep - https://www.patreon.com/posts/june-1984-112063864
Ethan's fine site The History of How We Play: https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/
    https://www.arcade-museum.com/Arcade/space-flight
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings#Motion_pictures
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076929/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

1974:        
Atari makes Pong cute
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-06-I.pdf
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-20.pdf   
    https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame/tv-basketball  
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-07-27.pdf
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Pong

Bluesky hucksters descend on video games
    The Franchise Hustlers, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 1974, page 8

Barcode scanning comes to supermarkets    
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1974/Poptronics-1974-07.pdf  pg. 22
    https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/04/archives/electronic-checkout-speeds-food-buying-checkout-speeded.html
    
Xerox Parc gets out the painbrush
    https://archive.org/details/197407PccV2N6/page/n5/mode/2up

1984:
CES takeaways
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/50/mode/2up

Atari gets tight with announcements
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari announces Super Chip games
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

Atari announces new console and computer games
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/60/mode/1up?view=theater

5200 RIP
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/61/mode/1up?view=theater

Coleco sweetens Adam deal
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/56/mode/2up
    
Jack Attack
July 2    
Jack buys Atari
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/61/mode/1up?view=theater    
    Warner sells Atari operations, Warner sells Atari operations, United Press International, July 2, 1984, Monday, AM cycle    
    Warner sells Atari operations, United Press International, July 2, 1984, Monday, BC cycle, Section: Financial
    
July 3    
    Tramiel Buys Atari, Sets Sights On Former Company, The Associated Press,July 3, 1984, Tuesday, PM cycle   
    https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/03/business/warner-sells-atari-to-tramiel.html?searchResultPosition=1

July 4    
    "Home computer veteran to challenge high end of market, Financial Times (London,England) July 4, 1984, Wednesday, Section: SECTION II; International Companies; Pg. 17"

July 6    
    Widespread Layoffs Begin Under New Leader, The Associated Press, July 6, 1984, Friday, BC cycle
    
July 10    
    https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/14/business/commodore-trade-secrets.html?searchResultPosition=11   
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-07-19

July 13    
    No Headline In Original, PR Newswire, July 13, 1984, Friday

July 16    
    A Tough Man for a Tough Job, Newsweek, July 16, 1984, UNITED STATES EDITION, Section: BUSINESS; Pg. 50

July 19    
    Warner omits payout in reshape, Financial Times (London,England), July 19, 1984, Thursday, Section: SECTION I; Pg. 20, Byline: BY TERRY DODSWORTH IN NEW YORK

July 23    
    Atari Tells Agencies to Freeze and Puts Networks at Ease, ADWEEK, July 23, 1984, Eastern Edition, Length: 514 words, Byline: By Gail Belsky

July 27    
    https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1984-07-26
    CHINAGLIA PURCHASES CONTROL OF COSMOS, The New York Times, July 27, 1984, Friday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section A; Page 15, Column 1; Sports Desk

July 30    
    "ADVERTISING; Consolidating Domestically at Wells, The New York Times, July 30, 1984, Monday, Late City Final Edition, Section: Section D; Page 7, Column 4; Financial Desk, Byline: By Philip H. Dougherty    
    Tramiel's Atari Picks Wells, Rich; DDB Is Out
ADWEEK, July 30, 1984, Eastern Edition, Byline: By Gail Belsky"

Imagine management splits
    Home Computing Weekly No. 71, July 17-23    
    https://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/industry/publishers/imagine_crash0185.htm
    Popular Computing Weekly, 19 July 1984, pg. 5
    Popular Computing Weekly, 5-11 July 1984
    https://youtu.be/ZoDh61sgCOg?si=h4ML1gsN2kVbDXWM

Sierra On-Line no more!
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/52/mode/2up

Coleco numbers continue down
    Control Data, Coleco Post Sharply Lower Profits, The Associated Press, July 19, 1984, Thursday, AM cycle
    No Headline In Original, United Press International, July 19, 1984, Thursday, BC cycle, Section: Financial
    COLECO AND CONTROL DATA FALL - Correction Appended, The New York Times, Correction Appended,Section: Section D; Page 3, Column 2; Financial Desk, Length: 472 words, Byline: By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
    Playthings July 1984

Milton Bradley sees turnaround
    Profits Up 45 Percent At Toymaker, The Associated Press, July 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle
    No Headline In Original, United Press International, July 20, 1984, Friday, BC cycle, Copyright 1984 U.P.I., Section: Financial, Length: 302 words, Dateline: LOS ANGELES   
    Toys Hobbies & Crafts, July 1984, pg. 10

Bally positive despite games downturn
    BALLY-MANUFACTURING; Financial results, Business Wire, July 26, 1984, Thursday

Activision losses high
    ACTIVISION; Financial results, Business Wire, July 26, 1984, Thursday

Interest rates put more pressure on coinop
    Replay July 1984, pg. 3

Conversion kits take center stage!
    Play Meter July 15, 1985
    Replay July 1984, pg. 4
    Play Meter July 15, 1985 pg. 43

Mylstar continues suit against Bally
    Play Meter July 15, 1985 pg. 16

Mylstar brings people to FMV
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-21.pdf
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lfIpajVaAI

Universal moves into restaurant/arcade biz
    Restaurant-game center to open, The Japan Economic Journal,,July 17, 1984, Section: SPECIAL U.S. SECTION; Pg. 11

Photon zaps onto the scene
    Close Encounters on Photon, Newsweek, July 23, 1984, UNITED STATES EDITION, Copyright 1984 Newsweek, Section: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. 62, Length: 580 words, Byline: LYNN LANGWAY with BARBARA BURGOWER in Dallas
    
Stern Electronics files for Chapter 11
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-28.pdf

Twin Galaxies shuts down
    Play Meter July 15, 1984 pg. 18

Industry giants pass
    https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-07-21.pdf
    
Family computer goes lightgun
    AM Life July 1, 1984, 58

CPC goes on sale
    Home Computing Weekly No. 69 July 3-9
    https://www.devuego.es/blog/2023/01/10/press-start-cinco-duros/

Sinclair looks overseas
    Home Computing Weekly No. 69 July 3-9  pg. 5

QL confusion    
    Popular Computing Weekly July 26,  pg. 5

Acorn and BBC extend deal
    Popular Computing Weekly July 19, pg. 5

Sanyo and Canon to launch MSX in Europe
    Sanyo to ship MSX PCs to Europe, The Japan Economic Journal, July 17, 1984, Section: ELECTRICALS & ELECTRONICS; Pg. 15    CANON TO EXPORT MSX PERSONAL COMPUTERS TO EUROPE, JULY 17, 1984, TUESDAY

Commodore unveils C16
    https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-3-4/page/56/mode/2up

Korea joins the chip wars
    Massive investment would cause oversupply; Trilateral friction in microchip business seen among Japan, U.S. and Korea, The Japan Economic Journal, July 24, 1984, Section: Pg. 20, Byline: By TETSURO